MT. MORRIS, MI – Families from 12 apartments were displaced for the night after a fire destroyed three apartments at Cranbrook Village in the 5200 block of Bermuda Lane Wednesday, May 28.

Mt. Morris firefighters were called to the scene by 5:30 p.m., where flames broke out from one unit, and damaged two other adjacent apartments.

Scott Kulawiak, chief of Mt. Morris Fire Station Three said no one was present in the apartment where the fire started, and that the fire was the first major incident he's responded to in the area.

No injuries were reported.

"It was fully involved when we got here," Kulawiak said. "No one was home, but with this many units, we didn't want to take any chances. We've had stove fires in the area before, but this is the first big call.

"They did a good save on this. It could have been worse."

Due to a shift change, Kulawiak said, firefighters from stations one, two and three were dispatched to the area, totaling about 14 firetrucks.

Workers from the American Red Cross were also called to relocate the families from all 12 units in the cooperative housing community.

"I'd rather no one stay here for the first night," Kulawiak said. "You never know if some embers could catch. We don't want to lose anyone."

Robert Perry, a resident of one of the adjacent units that was damaged in the fire, had just finished cooking dinner for his two daughters when the fire started.

Perry said one of his daughters smelled the fire, and when he came out of his bedroom, he saw flames shooting out a broken window.

After getting his children to safety, he called the fire department.

"I was kind of hysterical at first, but I had to get my little ones out," he said. "When I got out, the majority of the people were all out. Everyone's OK."

Perry said his dog and a neighbor's dog were saved by firefighters at the scene.

Esther Thomas, manager of Professional Property Service, which owns the community, said she drove to the scene from Pontiac to make sure residents were safe.

"Buildings can be rebuilt, but we have to make sure everyone is OK," she said. "It's a close-knit community. I've been managing for 20 years and never had a fire like this."

Firefighters said they have ruled out arson, but the cause of the fire remains under investigation.